Imagining Kat Dennings' decision to adopt her stage name back in 1995, it's fortunate indeed that she steered clear of monikers like "Topange Hocus Pocus Dunkaroo." Recently featured on Kylie Kelce's podcast, "Not Gonna Lie," the "Switching Gears" star was grilled about the rationale behind her screen alias, and Dennings responded with an endearingly eccentric anecdote.
During the chat, the former "2 Broke Girls" actress revealed that her birth name is Katherine Litwack, a moniker she deemed unsuited for stardom at the tender age of nine. "My real last name is Litwack—need I say more?" she quipped, before diving into her tale. Mocking her youthful self, Dennings recounted, "'This just won't cut it,' I thought. 'I was way ahead of my time, like a mini-CEO. I realized, 'This won't look good on a poster. It shan't pass!'"
Transitioning smoothly, Dennings elaborated on how she conceived her stage surname. It all began during visits to her family friend, children's fantasy author Lloyd Alexander, creator of the beloved "Chronicles of Prydain" series. "Oddly enough, he was my mother's closest companion," she shared. "I'd visit every week till I turned 15; they were like surrogate grandparents. His wife, Janine Denni, was French... And I thought adopting her name with a twist would be the coolest thing ever. It was as simple as that. Hence, 'Dennings' comes from her."
One might logically assume "Kat" derived from her given name, Katherine. However, there's a humorous twist to that tale too. Dennings chose "Kat" after being captivated by Christina Ricci's character in the 1995 film "Casper," whom she adored at the time. "I decided, 'Kat Dennings. That's it, I can totally envision it,'" she exclaimed. "It's bonkers."
While her choices may seem whimsical, "Kat Dennings" isn't a bad name for a child to conjure up. It could've been infinitely worse. Consider Kristen Bell, who, during a 2015 appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!", confessed to loathing her first name as a child and renaming herself. "Around 3 and a half, I declared, 'No more! You'll call me 'Smurfette' or not at all!'" Bell recounted to Kimmel. Initially, her parents dismissed her declaration until she steadfastly refused to respond to anything else. "They sat me down and said, 'This isn't happening.' I shot back, 'Fine, my name is now Matthew,'" Bell explained. Unsatisfied with that either, her parents eventually agreed to "Annie," inspired by the title character from the musical. "My entire family called me 'Annie' till I was 16," Bell revealed. "My grandparents still do."
